Safety Device For Barbell

ABSTRACT

A barbell includes a rod having two grab portions and a protection area is located between the two grab portions. Two load portions are connected to two ends of the rod respectively. A metallic sleeve is mounted to the protection area of the rod and has multiple slits defined through the wall of the sleeve. The metallic sleeve protects the user from being injured by the broken ends of the rod when the rod is broken.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a barbell, and more particularly, to asafety device for a barbell so as to protect the users when the rod ofthe barbell is broken.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Weightlifting is a way to exercise muscles of users and the barbells arewidely used in weightlifting. The conventional barbell generallycomprises a rod and two load portions on two ends of the rod. Each loadportion is composed of multiple weights. The user holds the rod andlifts the load portions to exercise the muscles.

When making the rod of the barbell, the rod needs to be processed byheat treatment so as to have sufficient stiffness to support the loadportions. However, the concentration of stress may be existed during theheat treatment and the rod can be broken by the load portions. The rodslightly bends due to the load portions which may up to 250 kgs and themaximum stress is applied to the central portion between the two handsof the user. The central portion even can be treated as a dangerousportion because it is located at the maximum distance from the loadportions. The load portions apply significant torques to the centralportion and the barbell is lifted and put down so that the rod slightlybends in opposite directions. The actions may break the rod at thecentral portion suddenly, and the user is easily injured.

The present invention intends to provide a safety device for a barbelland provides a sleeve at the position where the rod may potentially bebroken.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a barbell and comprises a rod havingtwo grab portions and a protection area is located between the two grabportions. Two load portions are connected to two ends of the rodrespectively. A sleeve has a passage axially defined therethrough andmultiple slits are defined in the sleeve. The rod extends through thesleeve via the passage and the sleeve is mounted to the protection area.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a safetydevice for the barbell and has a metallic sleeve mounted to theprotection area of the rod of the barbell. The metallic sleeve protectsthe user from being injured by the broken ends of the rod when the rodis broken.

The present invention will become more obvious from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswhich show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment inaccordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show the barbell with the safety deviceof the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view to show the barbell with the safety device ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view to show the barbell with the safety device of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view to show the sleeve mounted to the rodof the barbell of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view to show the sleeve mounted tothe rod of the barbell of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows the barbell of the present invention is operated by a user,and

FIG. 7 illustrates the sleeve accommodates the two broken ends of thebroken rod of the barbell.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, the barbell 10 of the present inventioncomprises a rod 20 having two end collars 30 respectively connected totwo distal ends 21 thereof and two load portions 50 are positioned tothe two ends of the rod 20 by the end collars 30. Each of the loadportions 50 is composed of at least one weight 51.

The rod 20 has two grab portions 22 so that the user can grab the rod 20at the two grab portions 22. A protection area 23 is located between thetwo grab portions 22.

Before the load portions 50 are connected to the rod 20, a sleeve 40made of metal is mounted to the rod 20. The sleeve 40 has a passage 41axially defined therethrough and multiple slits 43 are defined throughthe wall 42 of the sleeve 40. The rod 20 extends through the sleeve 40via the passage 41 and the sleeve 40 is mounted to the protection area23. The material for the sleeve 40 has high strength and low density,such as stainless steel, Titanium or Titanium alloy. The slits 43 aregrouped into multiple annular portions and the annular portions areseparated from each other by even distance. The slits 43 extend axiallyalong the sleeve 40 so as to provide the sleeve 40 with flexibility. Theweights 51 are then mounted to the rod 20 and secured by the end collars30.

The two grab portions 22 are located at two ends of the sleeve 40 sothat the user 60 grabs the grab portions 22 by two hands 61 and liftsthe barbell 10 to exercise the muscles.

As shown in FIG. 6, in case the rod 20 is broken due to any potential orexterior factors, because the sleeve 40 is made by durable materialwhich has better ductility so that the energy of the breakage of the rod20 is absorbed by the sleeve 40 and the two broken ends of the rod 20are still accommodated in the sleeve 40 as shown in FIG. 7. The brokenends of the broken rod 20 cannot injure the user 60.

The advantages of the present invention are that when the rod 20 isbroken due to unexpected exterior or potential factors, the metallicsleeve 40 having better ductility can enclose the broken position of therod 20 and protect the user.

The sleeve 40 is made by durable material which has better ductility sothat when the rod 20 is broken, the energy of the breakage of the rod 20is absorbed by the sleeve 40 and the two broken ends of the rod 20 arestill accommodated in the sleeve 40.

The sleeve 40 has slits 41 which provide flexibility to allow the sleeve40 to be bent to accommodate the two broken ends of the rod 20.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with thepresent invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art thatfurther embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A barbell comprising: a rod having two grabportions and a protection area located between the two grab portions,two load portions connected to two ends of the rod respectively, and asleeve having a passage axially defined therethrough and multiple slitsdefined in the sleeve, the rod extending through the sleeve via thepassage and the sleeve mounted to the protection area.
 2. The barbell asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the slits are grouped into multiple annularportions and the annular portions are separated from each other by evendistance, the slits extend axially along the sleeve.
 3. The barbell asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the slits are defined through a wall of thesleeve.